Salon de la SNBA

 

Please do not cite from this page which is under construction.
The information is limited and maybe partly incorrect.

 

Meta-Impressionism / Salons

Salon

de la

Société National des Beaux-Arts

1890 – 1918

 

 

Introduction:
The first Salon de la Société National des Beaux-Arts was held in 1890 at the Champ-de-Mars in the Palais des Beaux-Arts. The year before a group had split of from the ‘Société des Artistes Français‘. The Salons de la Société National des Beaux-Arts can be seen as independant group exhibitions and in this sense as one of the successors of the ‘impressionist’ expositions that stopped in 1886. Many partakers of the ‘impressionist’ expositions (frequently) exhibited at the Salon de la Société des Beaux-Arts, including Sisley. This Salon had a jury, but awarded no medals.
On this page you will find (in the future) overviews of the founders, the ‘associés’ and the ‘impressionist’ partakers.

 

The Salon de la Société National des Beaux-Arts (=SNBA):
In 1889 there had been a division between the members of the jury. One part grouped as ‘la Société National des Beaux-Arts’ and began to organise their own yearly exhibitions since 1890 at the Champ-de-Mars in the Palais des Beaux-Arts and after 1900 in the Grand Palais. The presidents were: J.-L.E. Meissonier in 1890; P. Puvis de Chavannes (1891-1898); E.-A. Carolus-Duran (1899-1905); A.P. Roll from 1906 till at least 1914). In 1919 the Société National des Beaux-Arts integrated again with the Société des Artistes Français. Earlier (because of disputes) some ‘associés’ had already returned to the Société des Artistes Français. Among them were Brandon, Carolus Durant, Dagnan-Bouveret and Gervex.
This Salon wanted to be open, in particular to foreigners and women. This Salon had a jury, which was punctillous and rigorously defending traditional aesthetic principles. Later on it was recognized by the State. (R68,p116).
In 1890 Meissonier was the chairman, 1891 onwards Puvis de Chavannes and later Roll and Forain. At first there was no limit to the amount of art-works one could submit. Later on one was allowed to exhibit 6 works. Still artists, like Sisley, regularly exhibited more than 6 works. In 1890 there were just 450 participants, in 1907 there was the highest amount of participants, namely 1137. In 1890 there were just 1422 works exhibited, in 1903 there was the highest amount of  art-works, namely 2759. There was a jury. The average of works that artists did show was about 3. There were no medals granted.
Many partakers of the ‘impressionist’ expositions (that stopped in 1886) exhibited at the salons of the Société National des Beaux-Arts (that started 4 years later in 1890) and often were ‘associé’. The folowing artists exhibited on a regular basis: Boudin, Colin, Desboutin, Lebourg, Meyer, Lepine, J.F. Raffaëlli, Sisley and Vidal. The folowing artists exhibited on a less regular basis: Brandon, Forain, and Redon. The folowing artists exhibited just one time: Cassatt (only in 1898), Gauguin (only in 1891), Vignon (only in 1897). Postumous there were works exhibited of Bureau.
Sources on Impressionism don’t render much attention to the Société National des Beaux-Arts. This is strange, because it is an independent group exhibition, probably also inspired by the independant ‘impressionist’ expositions, and starting just 4 years after the last ‘impressionist’ exposition. And among the participants were many ‘impressionists’, including the key-Impressionist Alfred Sisley.
Note: in 1861 Louis Martinet, Théophile Gautier and others already had formed a Société National des Beaux-Arts (R290,p53).

Founders of the Société National des Beaux-Arts (=SNBA):
Who were the founders of the Société National des Beaux-Arts? Here below you will find (in the future) an overview:

  • x

 

 

Associé of the Société National des Beaux-Arts (=SNBA):
Who were associates of the Société National des Beaux-Arts?  Here below you will find (in the future) an overview:

  • x

 

‘Impressionists’ at the Société National des Beaux-Arts (=SNBA):

Which partakers of the ‘impressionist’ exposition did exhibit at the Salons of the Société National des Beaux-Arts? Here below you will find (in the future) an overview of which painters in what years and with how many art-works:

  • x
  • Sisley: 1890 (6 paintings); 1891 (7); 1892 (7); 1893 (6); 1894 (8); 1895 (8), 1896 (7), 1898 (5)
  • x

 

Sources:
My main sources are the Salon database, that render the catalogues from 1890-1910, accept that of 1905 (iR1) and also the catalogues gathered by Dugnat & Lobstein (R228). Monneret (1978-81=R88II,p415/6), Cuzin (1982=R97), Brettell (1987=R210). Other sources are Rewald (1973=R1), Walther (2013=R3), Denvir (1993=R5). See the link for other general References (=Rx) and to the internet references (=iRx). See links for practical hints and abbreviations and for the subscription of the paintings.

Online catalogues:
On the Salon database you will find (most of the ) catalogues of the Salon de la Société National des Beaux-Arts (1890-1910; -/-1905) (iR1/Salon de la Société National des Beaux Arts). Note: in 1900 there was no exhibition (R285,p67). Univie (=iR261) mentions the exhibitions held from 1905-1915, but doesn’t render additional data, for example the 20th exhibition held in 1910: “Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts / XX. Exposition.” In Database of Modern Exhibitions (DoME). European Paintings and Drawings 1905-1915. Last modified Mar 16,  2021. http://exhibitions.univie.ac.at/exhibition/285.  On gallica.bnf.fr (=iR40) and archive.org (=iR19) you will find several catalogues illustré. You can find the links on the bottom of the page about the Salon. Here below you will find some catalogues exclusively about the Exposition National des Beaux-Arts (iR19=R340).

Exposition de 1891 Société National des Beaux-Arts. Catalogue illustré. (iR19//ia902706;R340)

Exposition de 1893 Société National des Beaux-Arts. Catalogue illustré. (iR19//ia800709;R340)

Exposition de 1894 Société National des Beaux-Arts. Catalogue illustré. (iR19//ia802702;R340)

Exposition de 1895 Société National des Beaux-Arts. Catalogue illustré. (iR19//ia804506;R340)

Exposition de 1896 Société National des Beaux-Arts. Catalogue illustré. (iR19//ia800700;R340)

Exposition de 1897 Société National des Beaux-Arts. Catalogue illustré. (iR19//ia904502;R340)

Exposition de 1898 Société National des Beaux-Arts. Catalogue illustré. (iR19//ia800407;R340)

Exposition de 1899 Société National des Beaux-Arts. Catalogue illustré. (iR19//ia804608;R340)

 

 

 

Recommanded citation: “Meta-Impressionism: Salon de la Société National des Beaux-Arts. Last modified 2023/09/08.  https://www.impressionism.nl/salon-de-la-snba/

Note: additional info and pictures will follow.